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Refuse Collection

The Sanitation Division is responsible for collecting refuse from curbsides and, public receptacles throughout the city and disposing of it in accordance with applicable law and regulation. Refuse may include garbage, trash, recyclables, yard waste, and large metal white goods. Please see the information below on what day your refuse is collected, how holidays may affect collection, the rules for placing refuse out for collection, what is allowed and prohibited for collection, and additional information.

Please note: Many of the activities and roles of the Sanitation division are dictated by solid waste ordinance, Chapter 350 of City Code of Ordinances.

Refuse Collection Map

Map Legend

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Disposal Rules And Guidelines

Household Garbage

Garbage is anything that isn't prohibited from collection, which can fit into an official City garbage bag. (Garbage or trash brought in from outside the City is prohibited. See other prohibited materials at the bottom of this document.)

All garbage must be placed in Official City Garbage Bags. Medium and large City Bags are available at the City Treasurer’s Office located on the 2nd Floor of Binghamton City Hall, and in most grocery stores and retail pharmacies. Small City Bags are available only at the City Treasurer’s office, or at senior centers. Garbage bags placed for collection must weigh no more than 50 pounds. Note: Effective January 1, 2016, an increase in the price of the City garbage bags will take effect. Large bags will go from $6.75 per sleeve of (5), to $6.95 / Medium bags will go from $3.75 to $3.95 / There will be no increase for small City bags.

Latex-based paint must be fully dried and placed within garbage bags. Liquid paint and oil-based paint are not accepted

Broken glass or pointed objects should be wrapped up within garbage bags so as not to pose a hazard.

Refuse Containers/Garbage Cans should be watertight and weatherproof, with well-fitting covers, handles for lifting, no larger than 33 gallons and weigh no more than 50 pounds when full. Containerized garbage must still be in a City Garbage Bag.

Yard Waste

Yard waste includes any and all parts of trees, shrubbery, grass, flowers, and similar organic waste.

Branches must be less than four (4) feet, less than four (4) inches in diameter, and must be bundled with string or rope. (No wire.)

Maximum weight for bundles is 50 lbs.

All other yard waste must be placed in an open top container no greater than 33 gallons, or in a compostable paper yard waste bags.

Maximum weight for each bag or container is 50 lbs.

No more than 8 containers and/or bags per property will be collected per week.

Raking leaves into the street or along the curb line is prohibited.

Trash

Trash is collected on the same day as your official City bag. Please separate your trash items from your official City bags. Trash collection stickers are no longer required for collection.

What Is Trash?

Trash is anything that is too large or too heavy to fit inside the official City bag. Items such as clothing and Styrofoam (broken down) belong in an official City bag.

All household appliances will require one sticker each. Place the sticker on the appliance so it is clearly visible to the sanitation crews. The Binghamton Public Works dispatch office must be called at (607) 772-7020 to schedule a pickup of all metal appliances.

Household Furniture

Couches

Mattresses

End Tables

Tables

Chairs

Bed/bed frames

One sticker will be required for each item. A mattress and box spring each will require one sticker each. Each chair will require one sticker. Bed frames less than 50 pounds must be bound and have one sticker.

Construction Material

Lumber

Drywall/Plaster

Doors

Flooring

Carpeting

Windows

Tile

Roofing Material

Lumber such as 2X4s and wood flooring must be free of nails, under 5 feet in length, bundled and tied, and must not exceed 50 pounds. Each bundle will require one sticker.

Pieces of drywall, plaster, tile, flooring and roofing must be placed in a disposable container (such as a cardboard box) with one sticker on each box. The volume of material should not exceed the equivalent of three 32 gallon containers per pickup.

Carpeting that exceeds five feet in length and/or is greater than 50 pounds must be cut and tied with one sticker per bundle.

Masonry Materials

Masonry materials (such as brick and concrete) are considered clean fill and will not be collected.

Questions

Materials that may not be suitable for green bags should be bundled and tied or placed in a disposable container and weigh no more than 50 pounds. Each container/bundle requires one sticker. For any item or condition not described above, please contact the Binghamton Public Works Dispatch Office at (607)772-7020.

Recyclables

Please reference the chart below. Recyclables must be clean and placed together in an official Broome County recycling bin. Recycle bins can be picked up at the D.P.W. Office, on the 3rd floor of City Hall. Further recycling information may be obtained from the Broome County Solid Waste Office (607)763-4450 or the DPW Dispatch Office at (607)772-7020.

Recyclable

Prohibited

Paper

Cardboard

Newspaper/magazines

Brown paper bags

Envelopes/folders

Pizza boxes

Books

Wrapping paper (non-metallic)

Blueprints, carbon paper

Paper cups/plates/egg cartons

Wax-covered cardboard

Metallic paper

Tissues, napkins, paper towels

Moldy or food-covered material

Plastic

Food/beverage containers

Plant trays/pots

Small storage bins

Polystyrene cups/cartons

Plastic household items

Small plastic toys

Plastic bags*

Styrofoam packing foam and peanuts

Small appliances

Plastic film

Automotive fluid containers

Utensils and plates

Glass

Clear glass jars/bottles

Green glass jars/bottles

Brown glass jars/bottles

Blue glass jars/bottles

Window glass

Ceramics/plates/cups/bowls

Mirrors

Lightbulbs*

Metal

Tin/steel cans

Aliminum cans/foil/pans

Household pots and pans

Clean empty paint cans

Utensils

Scrap metal/automotive parts

Hangers

Electronics/batteries*

Metal Collection

To arrange for a pickup of large metal items (appliances, gutters, etc.), call the DPW Dispatch office at (607)772-7020.

Prohibited Materials

Prohibited Material is not collected by the City. (May be disposed of at the Broome County Landfill): Hazardous waste (tires, oil, automotive batteries, paints and solvents), construction and demolition debris, dirt, stone, masonry materials, electronics (TVs, computers, printers, etc.) (Note: Electronics - Waste haulers and waste management facilities (landfills) are prohibited from disposing of electronic waste as of 1/1/2012. Electronics are accumulated at the landfill for relocation to specialized recyclers.

Household Hazardous Waste

Call Broome county Solid Waste at (607)763-4450 or visit their website.

Compliance with City of Binghamton Garbage Disposal Rules and regulations is required. Failure to comply may result in violations or assessment of fees to the property owner.

When recycling started in 1991, the City eliminated the tipping fee tax included on everyone's property tax bill that was based solely on assessment. Instead, the City went to the bag (user fee) system, which charges residents for the amount of garbage they actually generate. See City solid waste ordinance §350-21.

Yard waste includes any and all parts of trees (including Christmas trees), shrubbery, grass, flowers, and similar organic waste. Soil and stone are not considered yard waste, and are not collected. Branches must be less than four (4) feet in length, less than four (4) inches in diameter, and must be bundled with string, twine or rope (no wire please). The maximum weight for bundles is 50 pounds. All other yard waste must be placed in an open top container no greater than 33 gallons; in compostable paper yard waste bags; or in untied black plastic yard waste bags. The maximum weight for each bag or container is 50 pounds. No more than 8 containers and/or bags per property will be collected per week. Raking leaves into the street or along the curb line is prohibited. Yard waste is collected Citywide every Monday, from March 6th, 2017, through December 4th, 2017, unless a listed holiday falls within that week. Additional collection days will be announced, as deemed necessary for Christmas tree collection or special unscheduled collections.

Most definitely. Since the inception of the recycling program in 1990, over 130,000 tons of material has been diverted from the County Landfill, from the City of Binghamton alone. This has saved the City over $5,000,000 in tipping fees.

Occasionally, if yard waste is particularly heavy, our crews are sometimes not able to complete the entire Citywide route on a given Monday. If this occurs, please keep your yard waste at curbside, and our crews will collect it on Tuesday. If for some reason it is still not collected by 4:00 PM Tuesday, please contact D.P.W. Administration, at (607) 772-7021.